Corey's 40-Year Beatdown! From Drum Corps Warrior to Drumline Guru: Celebrating Four Decades of Rhythmic Mayhem in Hamilton and Beyond!

Corey in 1987 on tour with Conqueror II. Corey in 2025 still doing what he loves!

Back in '85, this cat didn't just tap a triangle; he attacked the cymbals with the Ridge Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps. For a DECADE in the DCI trenches, Corey wasn't content with just one voice. Nope! This dude strapped on everything: shimmering pies, thunderous cannons (bass drums!), the crackling snare, the quadzilla setup, and even tinkled the ivories in the front ensemble. We're talking a full percussion buffet with local legends like Ridge Raiders, Conqueror II, and St. John's Drum and Bugle Corps. This wasn't just showing up; Corey was stacking Ontario Drum Corps Association (ODCA) Individual and Ensemble awards like cordwood, not to mention snagging those sweet DCI and ODCA championship titles. He was a junior corps beast!

Then, in '97, Corey flipped the script and grabbed some sticks to mold the next generation with St. John's Drum and Bugle Corps as a tenor tech. Talk about instant impact! In his first two seasons calling the shots, St. John's stormed the DCI Division II and III finals – that's hitting the ground running! Since then, this educator has spread the rhythmic gospel across both Canada and the States. He's been the guru for everything: battery wizard, front ensemble maestro, percussion commander-in-chief, sonic architect (arranger!), and the big boss (director). His DCI dance card includes heavy hitters like St. John's, Conqueror II, Lake Erie Regiment, Dutch Boy, and H.Y.P.E. And when the weather turned cold, he kept the fire burning with indoor drumlines like St. John's and EPIC. This guy bleeds ink and rhythm!

After eleven years shaping young talent, Corey felt the itch to get back in the arena with the Kingston Grenadiers, a DCA powerhouse. He started laying down vibes in the front ensemble before strapping on the tenors once again – proving you can take the drummer out of the playing field, but you can't take the playing field out of the drummer! 2008 saw him take the reins as the Director of Percussion for EPIC. Not content with just one project, Corey ignited the St. Mary Crusader's Drumline and the McMaster University Marching Band Drumline in the following years. Then, in 2011, he helped forge Impact Percussion, Ontario's drumline juggernaut, where he called the shots as the Executive Director.

After the world hit pause (thanks, pandemic!), Corey emerged with a fresh beat in his heart and a new vision for the Ontario marching arts scene. This isn't a drummer resting on his laurels! Keeping his community locked in, Corey is now laying down grooves with the Steel City Sound Youth Ensemble right here in Hamilton! Talk about local love!

But that's not all, folks! Corey's passion extends far beyond the city limits. He's deeply involved with Cadets Canada, where he's not just teaching beats; he's shaping young lives. You can find him supporting local youth and, when summer hits, inspiring young drummers from coast to coast at Blackdown CTC in Borden, Ontario. This is a man dedicated to the future of rhythm!

So, with a legendary past and a renewed fire in his sticks, the question on every drummer's lips is: what earth-shattering, cymbal-crashing, rhythmically mind-blowing adventure will Corey unleash next? Stay tuned, because this percussion powerhouse is just getting started!

"Ontario Drumline" "40 Years of Drumming"